West African Dwarf sheep and goats appear to have the
potential to satisfy the increasing demand for animal protein in
the humid zones of West Africa. Their current management is
described, and their integration - together with that of
cattle-into agro-forestry systems is discussed. The planting of
browse species such as Gliricidia septum and Leucaena
leucocephala may overcome the constraint to animal production
caused by the lack of fodder in the dry season. Grazing in
forests, plantations, and alley cropping systems is also
discussed.

Introduction

The population of the countries of the humid zone of the west
coast of Africa is about 160 million and is growing by more than
2.5 per cent annually (Unesco 1980). The increasing population
has resulted in smaller farms and larger cities, as well as a
rising demand for animal protein. What meat cannot be produced
within each country must be imported. In Nigeria, for example, if
per capita production and consumption rates of animal protein
remain unchanged, in 1985 an estimated 200,000 tons of animal
protein will have to be imported.

At present, many African villagers derive their animal protein
from forests and secondary growth, which are havens for wildlife.
As much as 50 per cent of the population south of the Sahara
utilizes animal protein derived from nondomesticated species such
as fish, insects, snails, and rodents. In the southern states of
Nigeria, where trypanosomiasis has inhibited cattle production,
wild or bush meat is particularly important. It constitutes an
estimated 20 per cent of the animal protein consumed and has been
valued at N30 million (Afoloyan 1980).

The replacement of natural forests with tree plantations will
limit the availability of bush meat unless carefully planned so
that there are young trees at all times to encourage its
presence. One method is to extend tree planting over a period of
years.

Cattle, West African Dwarf sheep and goats, and poultry are
the main locally produced sources of animal protein in the humid
zone of West Africa. As trypanosomiasis is endemic in the area,
the breeds of ruminants present are mainly trypano-tolerant,
i.e., they are generally resistant to the disease (table 1).

In the expansion of livestock production, ruminants will be
important, as they are able to use low-quality feeds, such as
grass, that can be produced on marginal soils. As a result, these
animals need not compete with humans for food or land on which
crops are grown.

Limitations to a rapid increase in the ruminant population
include disease, rate of reproduction, feed supply, and
management. As there appears to be no imminent, simple, and
broadly effective solution for trypanosomiasis, trypanotolerant
livestock will continue to provide the bulk of the meat produced
in the humid zones of West Africa. West African Dwarf sheep and
goats have the potential to become a more important source of
animal protein than cattle because they reproduce much more
rapidly (1.5 offspring/year after the first year).

Current Management Practices

Up to 90 per cent of village families have three to five sheep
and goats. Mortality is high because of disease and accidents,
and offtake (sale or home consumption) averages about 15 per cent
(Okali, personal communication).

Though animals are allowed to range freely, they graze and
browse close to the village. Studies have shown (Carew 1981) that
in the forest zone of southern Nigeria, West African Dwarf sheep
and goats, respectively, spend 98 per cent and 95 per cent of
their browsing/grazing time browsing. In the derived savanna,
where there is a higher proportion of graminaceous species, the
proportions of browsing/grazing time spent browsing are 47 per
cent and 62 per cent. Household scraps-cassava, yam, banana and
plantain peelings, and maize chaff-are considered critical in the
diet of these animals and may determine the number of animals
maintained by a household,

The figures on time spent browsing and grazing indicate that
grass can form a substantial portion of the diets of sheep and
goats, though the goats prefer browse. Browse feeding by cattle,
sheep, and goats is standard in villages throughout the region,
particularly in the dry season when the graminaceous and
herbaceous fodder has been consumed or is of such low nutritive
value as to be unpalatable. Browse species that are not deciduous
provide green foliage throughout the dry season.

Leguminous browse is particularly nutritious. When six Species
of browse were tested for nutritive value (Ficus exasperate, F.
sp., Newbouldia laevis, Aspilia africana, Spondias mombin, and
Cylicodiscus gabunensis) all had crude protein levels as high as
Panicum maximum (13 per cent), with the maximum being A. africana
at 17 per cent. All six species were at least as digestible in
vitro as P. maximum (Carew 1981). The high nutritive values of
the browse species and their potentially good dry season
productivity suggest that they can reduce the current dependence
on household scraps and make larger herds feasible.

Improvement of Ruminant Production

The provision of permanent pastures could eliminate the need
for household scraps in the diets of the Dwarf sheep and goats of
the region. Permanent pastures would be mainly considered for
marginal lands where farm holdings are larger and where low
rainfall, low soil fertility, or high susceptibility to erosion
make cropping uneconomic.

Native species of grasses may provide adequate pasturage in
the early rainy season, but as the pastures normally are composed
of both palatable and unpalatable species, the palatable ones are
heavily grazed and disappear from the paddock. The remaining
grasses are usually early maturing and fibrous, and are thus of
lower feeding value. If it were economic, it would be preferable
to replace the native grasses with productive perennial species
such as Panicum maximum, Brachiaria decumbens cv. Basilisk, or
Cynodon neumfluensis cv. IB 8. Short cultivars should be planted
for Dwarf goats as they will not graze in wet grass.

The addition of a selected forage legume of such genera as
Stylosanthes, Centrosema, Desmodium, or Macroptilium to pastures
can improve the productivity of the pasture. The forage legumes
provide foliage of higher nutritional value than grass, and this
value is maintained throughout the dry season. Nitrogen transfer
from the legumes to the grass improves the growth of the grass,
and because many legumes are deep-rooted they continue to grow
longer into the dry season. Although the legume must be
palatable, it should be of sufficiently low palatability to
receive only minimal grazing until the dry season so that it
accumulates as much dry matter as possible.

Although grasses provide adequate fodder in the wet season,
and careful selection of herbaceous forage legumes may extend the
value of the pastures into the dry season, the severity and
length of the dry season in much of the humid tropics requires
that other sources of feed be available. The preservation of feed
as hay or the utilization of silage or fodder crops such as
sorghum or maize is neither practical nor economic for a small
farmer. Thus, the production of browse, as occurs in the
villages, is probably the most viable solution.

Browse plantings in permanent pastures may be valuable for
uses other than fodder. Leguminous trees enhance the growth of
pasture grasses and improve soil fertility. The plants are
sources of construction material and firewood for the farmer, and
may be sold for timber. Other uses for browse plants include
shade, living fences, and shelterbelts. Samanea (Pithecolobium)
saman and Ceiba pentandra are two locally available species of
trees that are browsed and that provide excellent shade and
timber. Species such as Gliricidia septum, which readily sprout
from cuttings, are useful for living fence posts. Though fairly
weak for the first year or so until they are well rooted, they
are fire" and rotresistant and can be pruned as a source of
fodder. However, where there are extensive areas to be fenced and
labour costs are high, it may prove expensive to prune the trees
as often as necessary. Belts of trees providing timber, browse,
and shade can be placed between the paddocks. These are less
useful for temperature and wind control than in a temperate
environment but may prove useful during periods of water stress
by increasing the relative humidity in the adjacent paddocks
(Marshall 1967). They may also extend the grazing time of goats
by reducing the chill factor in rainy periods.

Browse may be planted in the pasture scattered throughout or
in hedge rows several metres apart. It can be maintained at low
heights so that it is available for browsing through the year, or
it can be allowed to grow so that it can be cut for feed in the
dry season.

Browse species are usually leguminous and may be shrubs, small
trees, or large trees. Their agronomic characteristics should
include leafy, vigorous growth, good seed production, a non
deciduous habit in the dry season, deep rooting, ready coppicing,
and palatability. They should be high in nitrogen and
digestability, and have no toxic effects on the animals.

The species that has received most attention to date is the
leguminous tree Leucaena leucocephala. Vigorous, palatable, and a
heavy seed producer, it unfortunately can produce toxic effects
because of its mimosine content (Jones 1979). Desmanthus virgatus
(Skerman 1977) and Codariocalyx gyroides (Lazier 1981) have
received some attention for possible use as browse. Gliricidia
septum, a small tree used for living fence posts and as a shade
plant in plantations, is of interest in West Africa because of
its ability to establish from cuttings and its leafy and vigorous
growth through the dry season.

It can be planted in paddocks in such a manner that the tops
of the cuttings are above the browsing level of the the animals,
thereby conserving the growth on the upper part of the cuttings
for the dry season. Recent trials have demonstrated that sheep
can be successfully fed diets of up to 80 per cent G. septum
(Chadhokar and Kantharija 1980).

In Nigeria, initial trials with G. septum have indicated that
18 month-old cuttings will produce leaf dry-matter yields of
350450 9 in the dry season. If 600 9 of dry matter are required
daily by each animal, two cuttings would supply the needs of one
animal, and in a five-month dry season about 300 cuttings would
be required per animal. With 15 animals/ha 4,500 cuttings would
be required.

Planting at spacings of 0.5-1 m would require that one-tenth
to one-half of a one-hectare paddock be planted to browse. As the
cuttings became better established, fewer plants would be
required to maintain the same number of animals and stocking
rates could be increased.

West Africa, with its long history of domesticated grazing
animals, has identified a wide variety of browse species. A
literature survey that was not exhaustive has listed 95 tree and
shrub species in West Africa. Little is known about methods of
managing these species or of their effects on animals. Noteworthy
among those on the list are the leguminous species Albizia
adianthifolia, A. Iebbeck, A. zygia, Dalbergia sissoo, and
Daniellia oliveri. Much work needs to be done in selecting
vigorous species and cultivars from among those used in the
villages.

Integration of Livestock with Forestry

Large areas of forests in Africa are managed for the
production of timber, pulp, or firewood. Bush growth in the
forests seriously concerns forest managers because it presents a
fire hazard and competes with young trees. Although livestock can
be used to control this growth, there are no reports indicating
this practice in the tropics (Adams 1975). In favour of livestock
grazing in forests is the fact that it reduces the costs of
clearing the bush, and the savings can offset some of the costs
of planting and managing the trees.

Studies have determined that the damage caused by cattle
trampling and rubbing the trees, and sheep grazing them, can be
minimized by good management (Adams 1975). Damage increases with
the stocking rate and depends on such factors as the stage of
growth of the trees and the season of the year. The pine forests
of the southern United States are a good example (Halls et al.
1964) of how animals can be successfully raised in the forests.
Goats, however, are not regarded as suitable for inclusion in
forest grazing as they depend largely on young trees for browse.
They also eat the bark of certain tree species. It has been
observed in the International Livestock Centre for Africa (ILCA)
Small Ruminant Programme in Nigeria that the West African Dwarf
goat eats tree bark mainly during the dry season when there is a
shortage of alternative feed. Thus, appropriate management,
including adequate provision of feed, preventing grazing while
the tree leaves are within reach of the animals, and the use of
trees with unpalatable bark, is the key to successful grazing of
goats in forests, particularly in forest plantations.

There are often problems, however, in the implementation of a
grazing policy, for the time when bush clearing expenses are
highest is when trees are youngest and most vulnerable to grazing
and trampling. The provisions of fencing, water points, skilled
personnel to manage the operation, and the infrastructure to
support these is a major financial undertaking. As forests are
commonly in remote and thinly populated areas, housing must be
provided, and it is difficult to recruit good managers and staff.
Also, livestock handling is difficult among trees, particularly
over large areas. The remoteness of the operation encourages
petty larceny in the removal of fences and rustling.

The large variation in feed supply throughout the year results
either in a serious lack of feed in the dry season or in
undergrazed bush in the wet season, with the accumulation of
coarse, unpalatable material in the dry season. If livestock are
to thrive, some provisions must be made to reduce the stocking
rate in the dry season or to provide extra fodder. Forests are
usually established in marginal areas either naturally low in
fertility or degraded due to cultivation or overgrazing with
consequent erosion. Such areas produce poor-quality forage and
thus slow weight gains among the animals. Macro- and
micro-nutrient deficiencies must be corrected before there can be
successful livestock raising in forested areas.

The alternative to forestry-managed livestock raising is the
rental of forest areas to livestock owners at specific times of
the year, normally in the early rains when the vegetation is
fastest-growing and most nutritious. A considerable degree of
management would still be required by the forest manager to limit
damage, but there would not be the high investments required of
forestry-run operations.

Uncontrolled grazing of forests can result in an increase in
fires, poaching of trees and firewood, damage to young trees, and
deterioration of the soil due to over-grazing. Although the
decisions on individuals' rights to forest grazing are often not
in the hands of foresters, the existence of a well-reasoned
grazing management system that balances the needs of the
livestock owners with those of the forester may well return
control of such grazing to the foresters.

One of the main impediments to integrating livestock with
forestry is probably the hesitation of foresters to introduce new
complications into a carefully controlled monocrop system. The
inclusion of livestock management courses into forestry training
may largely overcome this reluctance.

Integration of Livestock with Plantation Crops

The use of livestock, particularly cattle, under plantation
crops to control grass and bush regrowth has been frequently
recommended (Thomas 1978); maintenance costs are lowered while a
further source of income is provided. The animals rapidly recycle
nutrients through the production of faeces, and there may be an
increase in soil fertility. Where leguminous crops are planted
between the trees, these provide a nutritious source of feed for
livestock, as do byproducts of tree crops such as rubber seed,
palm kernel, and coconut meals. Grazing under plantation crops is
particularly evident in the coastal coconut plantations of the
humid zone of West Africa.

In a review of raising livestock on plantations, Thomas (1978)
noted that plantations do not have a constant supply of fodder.
Feed must be provided during the drier times of the year, and, as
plantations are usually planted relatively rapidly, the large
amount of fodder available when the trees are young is much
reduced as they grow, only increasing again when they are tall
and mature. Monoculture operations often do not have the trained
personnel, facilities, or sufficient interest to develop such
operations successfully. Cattle may knock off collection cups in
rubber plantations, depress yields by soil compaction, puddle
heavy textured soils, increase soil erosion, and remove
nutrients.

Although oil palm production in large commercial operations on
heavy soils may not be adapted for livestock raising, there is
interest in such a system (Aseidu 1978; Boye 1968; Renault 1968),
and commercial operations are possible. SODEPALM in the Ivory
Coast has been raising cattle under oil palm since 1973, and in
1977 was grazing 4,000 head (Koua Brou 1977; see also the paper
by Tchoume in this volume, pp. 111-114). Research on sheep has
indicated that those grazing in oil palm plantations have their
grazing pattern less affected by high temperatures and driving
rain than do those in paddocks without such shelter (Aseidu
1978).

The scattered semi-domesticated stands of oil palm around the
villages of West Africa also offer excellent opportunities for
development as grazing areas. The lighter soils in many of these
areas reduce the chance of compaction and puddling, and the
sparse canopies allow greater light penetration. Some degree of
management is, of course, necessary to prevent over-grazing, and
there needs to be some provision of fodder, perhaps in the form
of browse, for the dry season.

Sheep and cattle have been reported from many countries as
having been successfully integrated with coconut plantations, for
example in Tanzania (Childs and Groom 1963), Sri Lanka (Appadurai
1968), and the Philippines (Guzman and Allo 1975). In the
Philippines, 22 per cent of coconut holdings are grazed, mainly
by cattle, and in some areas this percentage rises to 60 (Barker
and Nyberg 1968). Small ruminants are suggested as suitable for
smallholdings and steeper land, and discing or subsoiling is
recommended every four or five years to prevent reduced yields of
fodder and nuts due to soil compaction (Guzman and Allo 1975).
Increased coconut yields resulted from integrating cattle and
coconut production (Childs and Groom 1963).

Livestock production has been reported as being low in
combination with all of these tree crops, but the use of
fertilizers and improved forage species has increased both
coconut and livestock yields (Barker and Nyberg 1968). Providing
leguminous browse species under the tree crop and cutting it as
feed for the dry season may improve livestock yields without
reducing tree crop yields. Extra paddocks for dry season feeding
are another possible solution.

The addition of grazing animals to fruit orchards in an effort
to control the understorey of bushes and grasses results in some
reduction of fruit yields, particularly in the case of cattle,
for the lower branches of the trees will be pruned and the fruit
within reach will be consumed. Much less foliar damage would
occur if sheep or goats were used, though the goats may damage
the bark of some species. In peasant systems in which the farmer
is more interested in flexibility of income rather than
intensification of monoculture system, losses in fruit yields may
be more than offset by the time, money, and energy saved in
clearing and the greater financial flexibility offered by the
system.

Alley Cropping

The establishment of pastures on exhausted cropping land with
leguminous browse species in hedgerows leads naturally into an
alley cropping system (i.e., planting crops in the alleys between
rows of trees). Once the soil fertility and structure have been
improved under the grass/tree combination, the alleys between the
trees could be cultivated and cropped for a year or more. The
land would then be returned to pasture. During the cropping
cycle, uses of the browse would include either green manure
year-round, green manure in the early wet season and
cut-and-carry feed for livestock for the rest of the year, or
cut-and-carry for the whole year with the animal manure returned
to fertilize the crops. One possible constraint to such a system
is the feeder roots of the browse, which may make cultivation
difficult and compete with the crop for available water and
nutrients.

Current Research

Current research in the ILCA Small Ruminant Programme in
Ibadan involves village surveys to determine the constraints to
livestock production in the villages, the effect of veterinary
care on animal mortality, and the establishment of unit farms to
develop the management systems required to raise small ruminants
on pasture and browse. Preliminary screening of 23 native types
of browse used in the villages is planned. The comparative value
of a number of farming systems, both to the farmer and in terms
of soil fertility maintenance, will be tested. Treatments will
include permanent pasture with browse in hedges, alley
crop-pasture rotations, cropping with the leaves of the alley
tree species as mulch, and continuous cropping without alleys.
Leucaena leucocephala and Gliricidia septum will be the browse
species utilized.

The Mayombe forest is situated 70 kilometres north-east of
Pointe-Noire, the economic capita/ and sole seaport of the Congo.
Initially very rich in Terminalia superba, this forest was very
heavily exploited.

In 1950 an extensive limba (Terminalia superba) planting
programme was implemented to ensure sustained production of this
species. In addition, experimental limbacocoa and limba-banana
intercropping was undertaken in sample plots. Although
limba-banana intercropping yields are encouraging for both
plants, the same is not true of the limba-cocoa intercrop. After
15 years problems arise with regard to the silvicultural
management of the limba- especially thinning-and root competition
between the two species.

Farmers often intercrop food plants with T. superba. This
should be encouraged, provided that farmers take sufficient care
during clearing and burning.

Research should be carried out to determine factors likely
to affect the success of new techniques. Finally, an effort
should be made to educate and inform the people of these new
planting methods.

Introduction

Mayombe is a very rugged forest zone starting some 70 km
north-east of Pointe-Noire and stretching to Zaire and Cabinda.
The Mayombe forestry station was set up around 1927 on the first
buttresses, about 80 kilometres from the coast. The area has a
subtropical, semi-humid climate. The rainy season begins in
November and ends in April, with a break of variable duration
between December and February. Rainfall varies between 1,300 and
2,300 mm, but it is : usually around 2,000 mm. The heaviest
rainfall is generally in November or MarchApril. The dry season
is characterized by four to five ecologically dry months during
June to October. It is marked by a low saturation deficit and an
abundance of morning fog. Normally temperatures fluctuate around
25°C, but during the dry season they are about 18-22°C.

The natural vegetation is semi-deciduous forest that is rich
in limba (Terminalia superba). The overstorey species frequently
found growing with T. superba are: Desbordesia pierreana,
Dacryodes pubescens, Irvingia gabonensis, Combretodendron
africanum, Gambeya africana, Staudtia stipitata, Pentaclethra
macrophylla, Baillonella toxisperma, and Dialium spp. Until 1950
the work carried out at this station consisted mainly of setting
up a tree nursery of about 20 ha and studying the silviculture of
a few native species. As a result of the heavy exploitation of
limba, especially in the wake of the Second World War, an
extensive planting programme was begun. Between 1950 and 1961,
6,435 ha of limba were established in order to ensure a steady
production of timber. The limba were planted from two centres
fairly close to each other-Nboku-Nsitu, situated at latitude
4°26' S and longitude 12°16' E, and Bilala, situated at
latitude 4°30' S and longitude 12°13'E.

The Mayombe forest plantations have been established on
extremely variable soils. For instance, stands are to be found on
soils depleted by food crops, on relatively fresh and fertile
alluvial soils, and on very fertile schistocalcareous and
schisto-sandy soils. Limba does well on clayey soils with an
adequate water content.

Demographic pressure is particularly high in the area covered
by the limba plantations. Because of the dense population and the
intensive agricultural activity, on the one hand, and the large
area occupied by the limba stands, on the other, farmers
sometimes intercrop banana, cassava, and cocoyam with the limba.

Every four years, the Centre Technique Forestier Tropicale du
Congo (Tropical Forestry Research Centre of the Congo) evaluates
the condition of these stands in a survey of onehectare sample
plots, which include experimental limbacocoa and limba-banana
combinations.

Forest management techniques likely to stimulate natural
regeneration were not approved in the plantations. The same was
true of artificial regeneration techiques that do not permit
limba to receive the maximum amount of light, which is
particularly important since limba is a very heliophilic species.
For this reason, the corridor method was discarded. Taungya was
also ruled out, although later at tempts at intercropping were
made on a very small scale. The formula finally adopted consisted
of planting pure, even-aged stands of limba, generally at a final
spacing of 10 x 10 or 12 x 12 m. In general the following
operations are carried out:

A quick survey of the ground and vegetation one to two
years in advance;

Detailed survey: The area to be planted is mapped out in
January-February so that the amount of labour needed can
be determined and supervision planned;

Clearing of the existing forest: An effort is made to
destroy the forest as completely as possible before
planting. The underbrush is cleared with cutlasses; the
intermediate storey and overstorey are destroyed, with
trees less than 30 cm in diameter being felled and the
remainder girdled;

Burning in the dry season, defining of plots, and the
preparation of planting lines;

Pegging or digging holes 10 x 10 or 12 x 12 m apart; and

Planting at the beginning of the rainy season in
November, using plants cultivated in nurseries for 16
months (stumps).

Limba-Cocoa Intercropping

An intercropping experiment with limba and cocoa was
undertaken on a plot of 450 ha. The edaphic conditions of this
plot are among the best in the area. The opening up and
preparation of the land were carried out according to the method
described above. Limba was planted in November 1954, 12 x 12 m
apart. Cocoa was planted from 1963 to 1965 between the limba at a
distance of 3 x 3 m.

Limba requires a very good soil, and, in the natural forest it
generally grows in clusters on fine-grained, well -structured
soils with good air- and water-permeability. It is an indicator
of fertile soils and farmers rely heavily on its presence in
choosing their farmlands.

Cocoa is a perennial crop with stringent edaphic requirements.
It prefers soils with a deep profile and good structure,
providing adequate air- and water-permeability. In the Congo, it
does particularly well in red clayey soils with a favourable
water content. In addition to an adequate reserve of mineral
matter, the organic matter content is vital to the success of the
plantation.

From the start, the combination proved very beneficial to the
limba, as its growth surpassed all other plots. Competition from
weeds was suppressed and the soil remained perfectly clean under
the cocoa plants. About 1969, the growth (in girth and average
volume) of the limba above cocoa slowed, in comparison with
similarly fertile sample plots. This relative decrease was more
noticeable on the 39 finest trees in the plot. It seems, then,
that after about 15 years, the cocoa had entered into keen
root-level competition with the limba.

Since the cocoa plantation was not properly followed up,
reliable data are not available on the behaviour of the cocoa
under limba. For an area of about 10 ha, production over the
first four years (1970-1973) was 49 kg/ha, 67 kg/ha, 31 kg/ha,
and 16 kg/ha, respectively. These relatively low production
figures probably reflect, on the one hand, Mayombe's utterly
marginal ecological conditions for the growth of cocoa and, on
the other, the depressing effects of the limba.

Limba-Banana Intercropping

The limba-banana combination is very widely practiced both by
the Office Congolais des Forets (Congolese Forestry Authority) -a
national organization responsible for reforestation-and by the
populations of Bilala, Bilinga, and the surrounding areas. The
preparation of the land for bananas consists of totally
destroying the existing vegetation under old limba. Holes are dug
and sprouts planted at the beginning of the rainy season at
spacings of 4 x 4 m. The most frequently planted species is Musa
sapientum, usually the Gros-Michel variety. This type of farming
had already been successful in the Mayombe region of Zaire (at
Luki) in the 1950s (INEAC: National Institute for Economic Study
of the Congo).

Annual yields of bananas have been approximately 3 t/ha. The
limba benefits greatly from the maintenance work done on bananas.
Competition at root level is minimal, because of the creeping
nature of the banana's roots and the banana's life span,
estimated at about ten years.

Intercropping of Limba with Other Crops

As a result of increasing demographic pressure in the area,
farmers quite often combine several food crops-such as cassava,
plantain, cocoyam, corn, yam, and vegetables- with limba. Because
these crops are neither perennial nor deep-rooted, there is very
little risk of competition. However, it should be noted that
cassava is likely to make the soil acidic.

The great danger in intercropping limba with other food crops
lies in the fact that traditionally these crops are grown on
burned areas. Farmers therefore tend to burn their land before
planting without taking the necessary precautions to protect the
limba. The trees wither very rapidly because the species is
sensitive to heat.

Conclusion

Agro-forestry is a method of land use that has been practiced
successfully in several tropical countries such as Burma, Java,
India, Malaysia, and Nigeria. Its success in the Congo will
depend initially on the solution of certain technical and
educational problems.

From a purely technical point of view, it is essential that
foresters and agronomists carefully select the species to be
intercropped. This choice must naturally take into consideration
the nature, requirements, and optimum ecological conditions of
the agricultural and forest species being considered. From this
point of view, the intercropping of limba with cocoa in Mayombe
is not advisable for several reasons:

From the climatic and edaphic point of view, Mayombe is
far from suitable for cocoa farming;

Like limba, cocoa is a perennial and very demanding as
far as soil is concerned;

The limba sheds its leaves during the dry season, thereby
exposing the cocoa to the harsh, dry weather; and

Because of the perennial nature of cocoa, certain
silvicultural treatments-such as thinning-are difficult
to carry out.

The intercropping of limba with banana, however, is relatively
promising inasmuch as banana is a shorter-lived perennial than is
cocoa and has a shallow root system.

After suitable species have been identified for intercropping,
it is important to perfect plantation management techniques
(opening up of the land, burning, time of planting for both
crops, type of maintenance, and so on), which are necessary to
the success of the operation. Burning should be prohibited.

Inasmuch as this method of regeneration is closely linked to
the rural areas, it is vital that an effort be made to educate
and inform the people, to give them an understanding of the value
of, and prerequisites for, success with the new planting
techniques.